Restaurants & Dining
Food Dude Explores Ballpark Foods at Myrtle Beach Pelicans Stadium
Baseball season is officially here, and that means warm days and cool nights with hot dogs and cold beer at the ol' ballpark. The Food Dude loves him some baseball, and not just because of the action on the diamond (because, let's face it, there's really not that much going on). It's the good stuff at the concession stand – popcorn, pretzels and nachos smothered in something resembling cheese – that makes the experience.
From Yankee Franks to Dodger Dogs, baseball is the one sport that's forever linked to food. The old refrain “Buy some peanuts and CrackerJacks” would never fly with the football crowd, although baseball food purists are starting to see some changes from the traditional lineup.
Some major league teams have introduced non-baseball items to their concession stands, including offerings such as sushi in Seattle, Clam Chowder in Boston and Tofu Franks in San Francisco. It's designed to give their concession fare a regional flare, but I think I hear Abner Doubleday turning a double play in his grave.
Even our own hometown Myrtle Beach Pelicans have gotten into the act this season, hosting a contest among locals chefs and fans to come up with unique recipes to give the ballpark some Southern seasoning this season.
Here are a few of the hits and misses:
Bog Balls: Yes, you guessed it – Chicken Bog in the form of a baseball. Some locals already have a name for this invention; it's called a clumpy batch of bog.
This uniquely South Carolina dish, consisting of rice, chicken, sausage and onion, has been transformed into a hand-held item you can eat or throw, depending on the taste.
In this case, you'll want to hold on to it. It's the best tasting round thing to eat at a ballgame since the advent of the Snow Cone.
Giant Turkey Legs: What is this, a ballgame or a Renaissance fair? Have the Pelicans lost ye olde mind or is has the food and beverage department been overthrown by Henry VIII?
Don't get me wrong; the Food Dude is down with the giant turkey leg. They pass the one and only taste test – they're good.
But there's a time and place for everything, and the ballpark is no place to be toting around a turkey femur.
But at least if a foul ball comes you way, you can always knock it back into the park.
Fried pickles: Now here's a twist on what has traditionally been treated as a side item or a condiment – batter-fried dill pickles with a ranch dipping sauce.
These Southern regional favorites have suddenly become popular among a broader audience as the American trend of deep-frying everything is all the rave.
The Food Dude is a little concerned about the execution of this dish. Keeping fried pickles hot and crispy is a tough trick, but well worth the try.
Fried Bologna Sandwich: Really? Fried Bologna Sandwich is what it has come to? This is supposed to be a ballpark, not a trailer park.
Fried Bologna (or baloney as real Southerners know it) is what poor people make to give to the even poorer people down the street at Christmas time.
And since bologna is made of the stuff that's not fit to put in a hot dog, the only way to make it edible is to fry it beyond recognition and smother it in mustard and ketchup. And in this case, even that doesn't do the trick.
Funnel Cakes: To be honest, I can't believe the Pelicans are just now getting these sinfully tasty treats of fried dough drenched in powdered sugar.
These state-fair favorites include enough calories to keep a human going for a month. Lick your fingers afterwards and it's a month and a half.
The same crew cooking up these cakes are also serving up hand-made waffle cones to hold your ice cream.
Delicious, yes, but you may have trouble fitting back into your box seat.
